My EVE experiment officially ended yesterday, when I tried to log in and found my subscription had run out. Fortunately I had tried out the new planetary features the day before, which looked nice enough, but not game-changing. As I had been playing "EVE Offline" for the last month, logging on only to train up skills (partially caused by an "we were wardec'd - do not undock" policy of my corp), I didn't really feel that I was using that subscription enough to justify resubscribing.

In spite of not being a PvP fan, in the end the real-time skill training system was what killed EVE for me, not the PvP. I simply need a connection between playing the game and my character's powers advancing, otherwise I'm too detached from my character's progress.
- posted by Tobold Stoutfoot @ 7:14 PM Permanent Link
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"we were wardec'd - do not undock"

That sounds a bit dull. Do people usually just play alts when that happens?

Usually people don't join Corps with that policy if they don't enjoy PvP (thus they'd be participating the war fleets) and most Corps let you remove yourself from the corp during the war and rejoin after if for some reason you don't want to participate.

To understand how deeply the planetary gubbins changes the game you have to realise that it is going to take a while for its effects to be seen.

Currently you can still buy the 'player useful' products of PI (planetary interaction) from NPC vendors at reasonable prices but this will be phased out. Eventually the only source of these products (Fuel for POS's, Tech 2 manufacturing components, Nanite repair paste) will be players using the planets. With regard to wormhole and 0.0 corporations especially this will have a huge effect and has the potential to change the face of the eve economy completely.

As things stand 0.0 corps and alliances have to maintain a logistics chain from empire to their own space in order to get fuel for their stations, once they can manufacture these things in the systems where they are needed those logistics chains are no longer as essential. The knock-on effect of 0.0 corps not needing to com to hi-sec as often will take a while to be noticable but it will affect hi-sec markets quite considerably.

So PI is game-changing, you just weren't playing EVE at a level deep enough to appreciate it.

I think people play sandboxes for two reasons. Either a) they have some grand delusion about having some psuedo-RP style encounters that create a living world where they can escape from being whatever they are. Obviously, this doesn't happen for most, or they settle for the PvP gankfests that sandboxes are because "it's better than playing with the kiddies in WoW/WAR/AoC/etc." Or b) They're like Syncaine, and they enjoy the free-for-all PvP these games provide, and love the moments of utter gaming awesomeness that occur occasionally. I admire group b a lot more.

I don’t roleplay, and there’s a line between roleplaying and being immersed in a deep and involving game world. I totally understand that the world is virtual and I actually prefer it when the game doesn’t get to serious about its source. But sandbox games allow creativity through real feelings and behaviors, they can make your experience interesting within the context of the game. If you use your imagination and creativity in a sandbox MMO, it is all you, not simply roleplaying. If I play I football game I don’t pretend to be the individual players, it’s the mechanics of that role that can be fun. It’s not the immersion of my character in the world that I like, it’s me playing in the world using an avatar, sort of a meta-immersion. Creating a living world does not automatically mean it’s for roleplayers, it can be fun, interesting, and deep for anyone who isn’t blinded by “fun is only achieved through combat and stats”. We enjoy (or at least can appreciate) the real world we live in, so why not a virtual one that’s designed for amusement?

And as much as I love PvP, I really dislike free-for-all PvP. That kind of game leads to chaos, and not in a good way. There’s a certain level of community (even if you’re not a part of it) with faction-based games that isn’t found in games like Darkfall or Mortal Online. Sure you might connect with your guild and friends, but that’s on a scale that’s too isolated to be significant. With factions you know that there’s a greater direction and purpose to your cause that’s bigger than just little old you. It divides the world’s conflicts into more than petty squabbling and loneliness. There’s a difference between fighting someone because they’re the enemy and fighting because they’re just not on your side, and free-for-all games are the latter. I do think that the two opposing factions system needs to change. Three factions and a neutral group would be ideal for me.

Tobold, your experience is basically what happened to me each time I tried to get into EVE. I have never stayed subbed for more than one month. The day to day activities just grow boring and all I end up doing is queuing up skills. With power advancement happening whether I'm playing or not I always feel that I might as well be doing something else.

Started playing EVE a bit over a month agoostly inspired when I read about your EVE experiment, So I started playing and I should say as well Actively in fame play over that entire time of over a month. I didn't play EVE Offline!

My experience has not being the same as yours. Though the game aren't perfect I have found it enjoyable and interesting with a bit of depth to the game. As welly character is still learning core skills. New player NPC corps can't be Wardecked'! Player owned corps can be Wardecked for different reasons. Spent a month in the noob safe NPC Corp then joined a real player Corp.

My player Corp been wardecked two times both due to actions of Corp member and the lastone was due to a traitor member. Only peolple asked to stay in dock was for their protection so they didn't get shit by the other corp and most were all new players with not much skill or advance ships.

My sentiments exactly. It's the only game that encourages you not to play and guarantees you will never catch those who started before you.

Been lazily browsing the blogospheare and stumbled upon this post...and I just have to input my opinion on this matter:

The only difference between veteran players and new players is specialization in various areas.

Think of it like this: veteran player has lvl 85 tank, 85 dps and 85 healer.Newbye player has a lvl 10 dps. And nothing more

Now if the newbie focuses his efforts on leveling his dps-er to 85, he'll reach a point when he'll challenge on a equal footing the lvl 85 dps veteran player and have a fair chance of winning.

From experience, this can happen at about 6 to 12 months of skill training and a fair amount of active play. Just think of it like a slow leveling to the cap.Not everyone can do it, but it's not impossible for a 1 year player to best a player with 5-6 year experience. It will be impossible for a 2 weeks player to do it tho.